Wildfires continue burning in Central Oregon

Red flag warning in effect today

July 18, 2014 at 04:37PM

Wildfires continue to burn around Central Oregon today.

A red flag warning is in place today as winds and low humidity is expected to cause some significant growth in area fires, especially those burning on rangeland, according to the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center.

Here, a look at the fires burning in the area:

• Black Rock Fire, burning 3 miles northwest of Clarno, has reached an estimated 14,000 acres and is now under Bureau of Land Management control. The fire was burning on unprotected private lands but has now burned onto public lands.

• Bridge 99 Complex is two fires — the Bridge 99 Fire, burning 9 miles north of Camp Sherman, and the Bear Butte 2 Fire, burning within the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness — has grown to 6,369 acres and is 5 percent contained. Crews successfully burned out the southwest side of the fire, and three helicopters are expected to help with suppression efforts today. The fire remains west of U.S. Forest Service Road 1190. A Level III evacuation notice remains in place from Allen Springs Campground to the Metolius arm of Lake Billy Chinook.

Level II evacuations are in place for the Three Rivers subdivision, and there is a new closure order for the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. That includes the Jefferson Lake, Sugarpine Ridge, Shirley Lake and Cabot Lake trails, as well as the Pacific Crest Trail north of the Shirley Lake Trail and south of the Willamette National Forest boundary in the Cathedral Rocks area.

• Waterman Complex, a complex of fires burning on private land west of Mitchell as well as 10 miles northeast of Spray, has grown to 6,020 acres and is 35 percent contained. A Level II evacuation notice remains in effect for the Marks Creek area, and U.S. Highway 26 remains closed between mile posts 50 and 56.

• Pine Creek Complex has burned 15,185 acres 11 miles south of Fossil and 12,856 acres in the Lower John Day Recreation Area 8 miles southeast of Grass Valley. The fire is burning on both sides of the John Day River. The river remains open but those recreating should be prepared for helicopters to dip into the river. There is a Level II evacuation order for homes in the Brush Creek area near Twickenham.

• Ochoco Complex is five fires, including the Oscar Canyon, Lava, Fox, Broadway and Antelope fires. The fires are burning on the Ochoco National Forest, and Prineville BLM land. The firest total 917 acres.

• Center Fire is 25 percent contained and is burning 3 miles northeast of Post. It has burned 1,600 acres.

• Shaniko Butte Fire has burned 20,000 acres 12 miles north of the town of Warm Springs on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. The Lower Deschutes River is closed to all day and overnight use between Trout Creek and Long Bend because of the fire. Rafters are still able to put in above Trout Creek or below Long Bend.

• Ward Canyon Fire is about 15,000 acres and burning 8 miles west of Antelope.

• Donnybrook Fire, formerly incidents #377 and #319, is burning about 11 miles southwest of Antelope on about 3,000 acres of private land.